Li Wulong - His Story
His shirt was ripped.
Damn! I hate it when that happens. The thought flashed through his mind as he continued the pursuit. Ahead, his quarries were dividing their forces to ensure at least some of them got away. There was nothing he could do about that now, and had to make a snap decision about which group to follow. Five had turned sharply left and carried on running through the maze of backstreets and alleys, while four were now scrambling up the fence dead ahead.
Li chose to go for the four. Not for the easier numbers - he would happily have taken on all nine or more in a straight fight - but because his real target was among them. Most of the vertical distance they had climbed he could leap, so he did, and caught hold of the shirts of the hindmost pair. The gangers were unprepared for the extra weight they suddenly found themselves carrying, and let go of the fence. Before they struck the ground, Inspector Li was already after the other two.
The gang's leader, whose name was Wan Zakama, was one of that pair, and with a single word of command he bade his remaining minion to "Stop him"; delay Li to allow Zakama to get away. Unhesitatingly, the minion obeyed.
Li found a foot waiting for him at the top of the fence, but he was prepared and dodged the kick easily, simultaneously moving up to balance atop the thin metal fence. The minion struck out twice more, but Li was not the head instructor of Martial Arts at the Shanghai Police Academy for nothing. Dodging such basic attacks while balancing on a pole, even as he was keeping track of eight other criminals and a dozen other cops, was meat and drink to one such as Li Wulong.
The gangboss Zakama fled down the alley as Li prepared his counterattack - his opponent was less skilled than him, but by no means unskilled - he knew he must finish this quickly, lest his true quarry, Zakama, get away. The minion attempted a punch at Li's exposed ribs, but found out too late it was a trick. He overextended himself, and his own weight ensured that a little shove from Li sent him off the fence and into a pile of dustbins, which were scattered, noisily.
Li jumped down after Zakama, clearing the rolling litter easily. The noise had caused Zakama to pause in his running and look round.
Oh good, thought Li, he'll be slowed.
He barrelled towards his prey, but his mind was ever cautious. Li knew that Zakama was reputed to be a fearsome fighter himself, and also knew from experience the folly of overconfidence. Nevertheless, he trusted in his own skills being a match for the gangboss's in any close combat. He just had to close the distance. It looked like Zakama was going to let him do it, as well.
He must want a confrontation.
Li slowed, and stood at the appropriate distance to challenge Zakama. He said:
"Dead or alive, you are coming with me."
Zakama replied:
"I think not."
He pulled a revolver from his long, black coat and shot Li in the chest, through the heart, twice.
It did not kill him. It made him stronger.
Supercop
"Serve the public trust.
Protect the innocent.
Uphold the law.
Directive 4 is classified."
-- Robocop
Li's eruption as a Nova enabled him to survive the shooting, but he was still badly injured and was hospitalised. Recovering in Shanghai General, the eruption was discovered to be the cause of his miraculous escape. Li's injuries healed far faster than they should have, and he was pronounced fit to return to duty within a month. By this time, he was also manifesting enhanced physical strength and reaction time, and was getting smarter with every day that passed.
The Chinese government were quick to take notice of Li's new Nova status, and before he returned to duty in the International Police Force (Interpol) they opened negotiations for him to transfer into China's National Nova Programme, but when it became apparent to them that Li would never leave the police, they changed tack and offered to negotiate for him a prestigious transfer to the United States UTOPIA Nova Threat Task Force (USUNTTF), where he would be an ambassador for the Chinese people in the difficult task of keeping Novas and baselines subject to the same laws.
In the interim, Li spent his time travelling abroad to investigate and solve crimes with Interpol, which he found considerably easier with the aid of his developing powers.
Whenever he had the time to spare, Li returned to teaching Martial Arts at the Shanghai Police Academy, where he had to quickly learn to pull his punches lest his mega-strength maim or even kill his students. The instruction was a cover for Li to carry on his old vendetta with the gangboss Wan Zakama, better known as 'Divine Son', still at large despite all the years Li had been pursuing him, from the earliest days of his career in Shanghai police. Even Nova powers could not help him get the upper hand against the notorious villain, who had gone deeper underground since shooting Li.
After some months the negotiations with the USA and UTOPIA were concluded, and Li set off for San Francisco to join the Task Force. He left his feud behind again, though Li knew it would not be forever.
There would have to be a reckoning.
Drive
Li's Nova powers are of three strains, which make him Faster, Stronger and Smarter. Though a police officer through and through, Li is really a warrior - before his eruption he was most valued as a Martial Arts instructor and practitioner. While skilled as an investigator, his area of expertise in policing is the chase, or 'hot pursuit'. He was also given certain 'special training' by the Chinese government before he was posted overseas to Interpol, but a change in political attitudes meant that Li was never called upon to work for his government in that way. Besides which, Li is too much of a policeman to be an effective spy. He has a deep-rooted dislike of Secrets of all kinds, from Secret Agents to Secret Crimes, or even Secret Wars…